Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education Treasurer Glenn Nelson has started an informal committee to investigate what a recreation millage could fund in the district.

Nelson moved to form the ad hoc committee Wednesday night during the board's regular meeting. His motion was approved in a 4-1 vote. Vice President Christine Stead voted against the measure, and Trustees Susan Baskett and Irene Patalan were absent.

Trustees Simone Lightfoot and Andy Thomas agreed to work with Nelson on the committee.

“I’d like to have us move in to a more visible, slightly more formal review of what a recreation millage could and could not entail,” Nelson said. “I emphasize … what it could do and what it couldn’t do, not what it should do.”

Glenn NelsonFile photo | The Ann Arbor News

Michigan Public Act 156 of 1917 allows school districts to levy a tax to provide funds for public recreation and playground operation. The district has no such millage at present.

Nelson said the formation of the committee doesn't mean that the district is pursuing asking for a recreation millage, but that he'd like to do some background work to see what it could fund.

"When we had the budget forums a year ago, the recreation millage came up specifically as a revenue enhancement measure that people were interested in," Nelson said."It’s important that we do this with some speed. ... This will take some work and it’s a combination of thinking about what would be useful to the district and what’s legally permissible."

He suggested exploring whether a recreation millage could pay for part of summer school programs, early childhood education or after school programs that would offer additional enrichment, like additional foreign language opportunities. Nelson said he's already met with Saline Area Schools Superintendent Scott Greden about the district's recreational millage to gain background information.

Vice President Stead said she opposed the formation of the committee because she feared that the public would take it as a sign that the board was committing to putting such a millage on the ballot.

If the district is pursuing its tax options to bring in more revenue, Stead said she'd like the district to pursue options that would be at the highest value to the district.

A recreation millage has limitations and couldn't be used to decrease large class sizes, Stead said.

School Board President Deb Mexicotte suggested that Nelson host coffee shop meetings to talk about the recreation millage — but Nelson said he was interested in a more formal process.

"I want this to be transparent to the public and something we all agree on and something that the public knows we’re working on it," Nelson said.

Stead said she was concerned that pursuing a recreation millage would mean the district would lose its chance to seek a countywide enhancement millage in a year or two.

AAPS attempted to pass a countywide enhancement millage for schools in 2009 and did not win voter support.

Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift said that recent discussions with Washtenaw County superintendents indicated that many were not in support of talking about an enhancement millage again.

Stead suggested engaging the business community to pitch the millage in a more compelling context.

"If we talk about this in the context of economic development — as a powerhouse to retain high quality talent — it takes business leaders, it takes community engagement and education," Stead said.

Nelson's ad hoc committee will report to the board in early January with its findings regarding a possible recreation millage.